Pressure responsive mechanism



Dec. 8, 1959 F. A. LlTZ 0 PRESSURE maspousxvs MECHANISM Filed Oct. 19,1956 3 INVENTOR.

FRANK A. L/TZ BY *fW W 9 7 TORA/E'Y United States Patent PRESSURERESPONSIVE MECHANISM Frank A. Litz, Santa Clara County, Calif., assignorto International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N.Y., acorporation of New York Application October 19, 1956, Serial No. 617,086

6 Claims. (Cl. 235-61) This invention relates in general to pressureoperated mechanisms and, in particular, to a hydraulic mechanismoperable in response to information coded in a particular numericalsystem for selectively transmitting predetermined forces to an object.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved pressureoperated mechanism capable of supplying a predetermined force to anobject in accordance with information supplied to it in coded form.

Another-object of the present invention is to provide an improvedhydraulic mechanism capable of moving a member in accordance withinformation supplied to it in coded form.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedhydraulic mechanism which is capable of positioning a memberautomatically in accordance with information supplied to it in codedform.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide animproved hydraulic mechanism for converting information in one numericalsystem to information in another numerical system.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the followingdescription and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawingswhich disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention andthe best-mode which has been contemplated of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates schematically a pressure operated mechanism embodyingthe present invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates schematically a modification of the mechanism shownin Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 illustrates another modification of the mechanism shown in Fig.1.

The invention comprises generally a plurality of pistons each having aface area proportional to a different order of' a numbering system,means responsive to information in that numbering system for selectivelyapplying a predetermined pressure per unit area to the faces of thepistons, and means for transmitting the cumulative force of the pistonsto a member to be moved.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. 1, the mechanismshown therein is illustrated as responsive to either pneumatic orhydraulic pressure and comprises a plurality of pistons 10, each havinga face 11 whose area is proportional to a different order of a numberingsystem. As shown, each face 11 is proportional to a different order of abinary numbering system. For example, piston face 11a has an areacorresponding to the first order digit 1 of the binary numbering system,face 11b has an area which is twice the area of piston face 11a andcorresponds to second order digit 2, and face 110 has an area four timesthe area of face 11a and twice the area of face 11b, and corresponds tothird order digit 4 of the binary numbering system. While only threepistons 10, corresponding to the first three orders of the binarynumbering system, are shown, it is, of course, obvious that more ordersmay also be represented by mere- 1y providing more pistons having faceareas proportional to these additional orders.

The mechanism further includes means responsive to information coded ina numbering system, in this instance the binary system, for selectivelyapplying a predetermined pressure per unit area to the faces 11 of thepistons 10. As shown, this means comprises a suitable housing 12including a plurality of cylinders 13 for accommodating the respectivepistons 10 in sliding engagement, a suitable source of pressure shownschematically as a hydraulic pump 14, valve. means '15 for selectivelyconnecting the output side 16 of the pump 14 to the input side 17 ofeach cylinder 13. Valve means 15, as illustrated, comprises threesimilar but separate valves 15a, 15b and 150. Valves 15a, 15b and 150may be of any suitable type which operates in one position to connecthigh pressure side 16 of pump 14 to the input openings 17 of cylinders13 and operates in the other position to equalize the pressure on bothsides of the pistons 10. The valves 15a, 15b and 15c are also preferablyof the type which may be operated to either operating positionautomatically in response to some predetermined condition. A springloaded, solenoid operated valve, operable in response to the conductionof'current in the coil of the solenoid, is an example of this type ofvalve. As shown, valves 15a, 15b and 15c are selectively operated fromthe position shownin Fig. 1 to the other operating position (not shown)by energizing coils 18 through a suitable coding means 20 representedschematically as a plurality of twoposition switches 21, the twopositions corresponding to the digits "0 and 1 of the binary numberingsystem.

The mechanism further includes means for transmitting the cumulativeforce on the piston faces 11a, 11b and 110 to an object. This means, asshown in Fig. 1, comprises a shaft 22 on which pistons 10a, 10b and 10care fixedly mounted. Shaft 22 and pistons 10a, 10b and 100 define apiston assembly 24 which is movable as a unit when pressure is appliedto any of the piston faces.

The object to which thepiston' assembly 24 applies a force, as shown inFig. 1, is the head 25 of a press or compact 26 employed to compres asuitable substance 27.

While the shaft 22 and head 25 are made integral, they can, of course,be separate and suitable connectingmeans employed therebetween.

The operation of the device shown in Fig. 1 is substantially as follows.Assume, for example, that piston face 11a, corresponding to the firstbinary order 1," develops one pound of force when connected to pressuresource 14 through valve 150, and that pistons 10b and 10c correspond tothe second and third orders of a binary system. Under such assumptionsthe hydraulic mechanism is capable of applying a force to thecompressible material 27 up to seven pounds in seven l-pound incrementsin accordance with information supplied to the coding means 20.

The mechanism shown in Fig. 1 may also be employed to position a memberat a predetermined one of a plurality of spaced positions by merelyproviding a biasing means having a predetermined force-deflectioncharacteristic acting in opposition to the force on piston assembly 24.Referring to Fig. 2, this biasing means comprises a helical compressionspring 29 having a linear force-deflection characteristic. Indicatingmeans shown schematically as a pointer 30 which moves in accordance withthe movement of the piston assembly 24 may be employed if a visualindication of the position of the shaft is desired. However, any knownindicating means may be employed depending on the information desired.For example, a scale 31, marked off in equal increments 32, may beemployed with pointer 30 and the hydraulic mechanism used to convertinformation from one numbering system to a different numbering system,such as binary information to digital information. In such instance themechanism can be classified as a simple binaryto-digital converter.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 3 is, inmany respects,similar'in structure and function to that shown in Fig. 1. However, themeans for transmitting the force on each piston face 11a, 11b and 110 tothe object to be moved may be modified so that the pistons moveindependently of each other in transmitting their respective forces tothe object. As shown, this means comprises push rods 33 and plate 34.Rods 33 may be fixed either to the pistons 10 or to theplate 34 if thepistons 10 are to be moved independently of each other. However, therods 33, as shown, are fixed to both the plate 34 and their respectivepistons 10 so that the pistons '10 and plate 34 move as a unit anddefine a piston assembly 35 similar to that shown in Fig. l. Theoperation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 is substarrtially the same asthat described with respect to Figs. 1 and 2.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferredembodiment, it will be understood that various omissions. andsubstitutions and changes in the. form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in theart, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is theintention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope ofthe following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A hydraulic mechanism for converting binary coded information todecimal coded information comprising in combination an assemblyincluding a shaft and a plurality of pistons fixedly attached to saidshaft, each of said pistons having a face area proportional to adifferent order of the binary numbering system, valve means operable inresponse to said binary coded information signals for selectivelyapplying a predetermined pressure per unit area to said faces to causemovement of said assembly in one direction, means for supplying saidsignals to said valve means, spring biasing means having a linear forcedeflection characteristic tending to oppose movement of said assembly,and means movable in accordance with the movement of said assembly toindicate said decimal o mat n.-

2. A hydraulic mechanism for transmitting force to an object in responseto binary coded information signals comprising in combination aplurality'of pistons each having a face area proportional to a differentorder of the binary numbering system, pressure supply means and valvemeans operable in response to said binary coded information signals forselectively applying a predetermined pressure perunit area to each ofsaid faces to move said pistons, means; for supplying said signals tosaid valve means, and means fortransmitting the force on each saidselected face cumulatively to said object.

3. The combination recited in claim 2 in which said force transmittingmeans comprises a plate and individual 4 rod members disposed in forcetransmitting relationship between said pistons and said plate.

4. A pressure operated mechanism comprising in combination a pluralityof pistons, means operable in response to a multi-bit informationalsignal corresponding to a series of digits each of which is assigned toa different order of a numbering system having a preselected radix forapplying a predetermined pressure per unit area selectively to each ofsaid pistons to cause movement of said pistons, the faces of saidpistons corresponding in area respectively to said orders of saidnumbering system, and means for transmitting the cumulative force onsaid pistons to an object.

5. A hydraulic mechanism for moving an element comprising in combinationa plurality of pistons, means operable in response to a multi-bitinformational signal corresponding to a series of digits each of whichis assigned to a dilferent order of a numbering system having apreselected radix for applying a predetermined pressure per unit areaselectively to each of said pistons to cause movement of said pistons,the faces of said pistons corresponding in area respectively to saidorders of said numbering system, said means comprising pressuresupplying means and valve means responsive to said signals forcontrolling the application of said pressure, and means for transmittingthe cumulative force on said selected pistons toan object.

6. A hydraulic mechanism for moving an element comprising in combinationa plurality ofpistons, means operable in response to a multi-bitinformational signal corresponding to a series of digits each of whichis assigned to a different order of a numbering system having apreselected radix for selectively applying a predetermined pressure perunit area to each of said pistons to cause movement of said pistons, thefaces of said pistons corresponding in area respectively to said ordersof said numbering system, said means comprising pressure supplyingmeans, valve means for each said piston for controlling the applicationof pressure thereto, and means for operating each said valve means inresponse to the corresponding bit of said multi-bit' signal, and meansfor transmitting the cumulative force on said pistons to anobject.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS177,871 Mignon May 23, 1876 285,883 Fisher Oct. 2, 1883 691,692 VonZweighergk Jan. 21, 1902 747,772 Richman Dec. 22, 1903 760,592 WestmarkMay 24, 1904 1,922,513 Wiedmann Aug. 15, 1933 2,148,727 Carroll Feb. 28,1939 2,231,680 Pfauser Feb. 11, 1941 2,840,044 Carrion June 24, 8

FOREIGN PATENTS 534,401 Great Britain Mar. 6, 1941

